P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mark Hughes reckons the top four teams in Formula 1 have been brought closer on long runs at Monza to an unprecedented level. He unpicks the nuances of analysing the stints in practice to paint a picture of the order
The long straights and short corners of Monza have equalized the top four Formula 1 teams’ cars to an unprecedented degree for this year’s Italian Grand Prix, with remarkable closeness in long run times, specifically only 0.1 seconds between the six cars from the four teams that completed 10 or more laps on the medium tires in what is expected to be a one-stop race. Concerns about degradation may lead to potential two-stop strategies due to the new track surface. Max Verstappen’s initial times were impacted by a late start on new soft tires, traffic, and a red flag, but still showed competitiveness with McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Verstappen expressed concerns about the car’s balance through high-speed corners and tire wear issues. Lando Norris had a consistent long run, closely matched by McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. Norris remains cautious about McLaren’s speed at Monza following mixed feelings during the practice sessions.
